Bag transformer



C. F. SPARKS BAG TRANSFORMER Filed May 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

C. F. SPARKS BAG TRANSFORMER Oct. 12, 1937:

Filed May 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F IGS.

Patented Oct. 12,1937 g 2,095,771

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BAG TRANSFORMER Charles F. Sparks, St.Louis, Mo.

Application May 15, 1937, Serial No. 142,839

13 Claims. (01. 93-8) This invention relates to bag transformers, and Abag of the type shown in Fig. 1, if it be subwith regard to certain morespecific features, to ject to a filling operation, particularly by meansa method of and apparatus for converting a bag of pulvulent material,such as flour, tends to bulge with one type of bottom into -a bag havingbut without opening up the bottom 3 and in. fact 5 another type ofbottom. tending to lock the same in unfilled position. It Among theseveral objects of the invention may has therefore been the practice forthe person be noted the provision of apparatus for operating who fillsthe bag to insert his hand and expand upon a bag wherein a so-calledsatchel bottom it before the material is inserted. This is an unwhich isunsymmetrically folded back aganst the deniable extra operation, and itis desirable that body of the bag is converted into a symmetrically thebottom 3 be converted from the form shown 10 arranged bottom extension;the provision of apin Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, wherein a creaseparatus of the class described in which the conis applied along themiddle (as indicated at 5) version or transformation is eifected at ahigh so as to produce two areas in the bottom 3. These speed and withsimple machinery. Other objects areas are indicated at numerals I and 9.will be in part obvious and in part pointed out The area 9 already liesin the plane of the flat l5 hereinafter. tubular portion l, and it isdesirable that the The invention accordingly comprises the elearea 1 berotated downwardly against the area ments and combinations of elements,features of 9 and ultimately that the areas I and 9 be posiconstruction,and arrangements of parts which tioned adjacent one another as closelyparallel will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter extensionsfrom the fiat tubular portion I. Then described, and the scope of theapplication of the bag may be filled without pre-inserting the whichwill be indicated in the following claims. hand for bulging it, becausethe material as it In the accompanying drawings, in which is descendsthrough the tubular portion l strikes illustrated one of variouspossible embodiments the central crease 5 and pushes it downwardly ofthe invention, 7 so as to flatten out the bottom from its folded 25 Fig.1 is a side view of an empty bag of the position, said bottom remainingflatwise at right type to be operated upon; 7 angles to the axial lineof the bag. No locking Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing saidagainst filling in at t bottom is then P b ebag after it has beenoperated upon; Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the there is shown at numeralH a frame, which, at 30 working parts of the transforming machine, itsupper portion, supports a cross shaft l3 on showing a sector gear at oneend of its oscilla- Which is a group 0f p ys It W l be 618 tion; stoodthat only one pulley I5 is ,in end elevation Fig. 4 is a diagrammaticview of the machine in and that as n y be used endWiSe 5 showing saidsector gear at the th r end of it as is necessary to accommodate thewidth of the oscillation; bag to be converted. A drive I! continuouslyFig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing said ta 31 3 5 sector gear ina mid-position and again advanc- The pulleys l5 are grooved to receivebelts l9 ing from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that which also passaround grooves in pulleys 2|.

40 shown in Fig. 3. The belts [9 pass backwards over a relatively long 4Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but on an enroller 23 for purposes tobe shown. It will of larged scale showing the sector gear furtheradcourse be understood that the pulleys l5 may be vanced; and,integrated into one extensive roll with a plurality Fig. '7 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 6 showing the of belt-receiving grooves therein.

sector gear after it has reversed movement and Arranged tangentially andsloping downward- 45 P y 1y to the right and near the pulleys I5 is ar-Similar reference characters indicate correranged a bag-receiving chute25, the latter besponding parts throughout the several views of inghooked at the upper end to a cross shaft the drawings. at 21 andsupported at its lower end on a cross Referring now more particularlyto- Fig. 1, member 29. The cross member 29 is held in 50 there is shownat numeral l the tubular portion grooves 3| of holding plates 33. Thischute, as of a paper bag, which, as is shownin the art, has is shown, isremovable by unhooking it at 2! been folded to form a flat satchelbottom 3. and dropping it downwardly to clear the grooves This flatbottom 3 lies parallel to and against inplates 33.

the fiat tube l, as shown. t The chute has, at a point adjacent thepulley 55 I5, an opening 35 through which may pass a swinging resilientroller 37. The latter is mounted upon a shaft 39 supported betweenlevers 4| on a cross shaft 43, the latter being under control of a lever45 operated by means of a connecting rod 41 which reaches from the lever49 of a lower bell-crank 5|.

After almost complete clockwise rotation of the bell-crank 5|, theroller 31 is sent through the opening 35 and forced against the beltswhich traverse the grooves around. the pulleys l5 (see Fig. 4).

Pivoted to a cross-shaft 53 is a group of stop fingers 55 which arearcuate in form, and which are adapted to swing through an opening 51 atthe lower end of the chute 25. The arcuate fin- V gers are operatedthrough a mechanism constituted by a lever 59 pivoted to a connectingrod 6| which reaches downwardly to said arm 49 on the bell-crank 5| Whenthe bell-crank 5| moves clockwise, the fingers 55 move clockwise and.vice versa.

Adjacent the lower end of the chute 25 is rubber cross roller 62 againstwhich is normally resiliently pressed a second rubber cross roller 63.The roller 53 is carried on a depending frame 65, which pivots from pins51 and. which carries at its lower end a spring support 69 around whichis a spring 1| for normally forcing the frame 55 clockwise and. to theleft, so that the roller 63 is pressed against the roller 62.

At one end, the roller 62 is provided with a gear 13 which meshes withthe sector 75 carried on an arm 11 forming part of said bell-crank 5|.Depending from and pivoted to a cross shaft 19 is a frame-work 8| whichcarries receiving and folding plates 83 and 85. A stop 81 is locatedbetween the plates 83 and 85.

The lower folding plate 85 is slightlylonger than the upper foldingplate 83. The framework Bl, upon which the folding plates are located,has pivoted thereto at 89 a connecting rod 9| which, through apin-and-slot connection at 93, has lost-motion connection with the lever49 of the bell-crank 5|. The lost-motion connection is normally taken upby the upward pull of a spring upon the frame-work 8|, which has theeffect of drawing up the connecting rod 9|.

The bell-crank 5| rotates upon a cross shaft 94 and is driven by meansof a crank 91, the latter being articulated to a connecting rod 99. Theconnecting rod 99 reaches from a suitable eccentric and has for itspurpose the oscillation of the bell-crank 5|.

Above the roller 63 is located a right-angular guide member I99 forpurposes to be described.

Pivoted on a cross shaft I05 is a set of transformer fingers I07 havinghooks |59 at their upper ends and normally drawn counterclockwise by theaction of a spring I I. The clockwise action is limited by an extensionH3 associated with the fingers l0! which strikes against a stop 5.

The operation of the device is as follows starting with the parts in theposition shown in Fig. 3:

A bag of the type shown in Fig. lis dropped down the chute 25, withthe-fiat satchel bottom 3 downward. Therein it is stopped by the stopfingers 55 until a preceding bag clears from between rollers 52 and 63.At this instant the bell-crank 5| has started to rotate clockwise,thus,- through the sector 15, rotating the roller 62 counter-clockwiseand clearing the preceding bag and sending the fingers 55 clockwise fromthe opening 51. The fingers-55 start to recede from the opening 5'! butdo not do so entirely before the bottom edge of the bag strikes them.These fingers 55 function to prevent the bags from descending too far atthe wrong time. Thus they are in effect timers for entry of the bagsinto the succeeding operations.

It should be noted in respect to Fig. 3 that the fingers 55 whencompletely extended through the opening 51 also form with the guidemember I00 a passage |9| for outgoing transformed bags as will bedescribed.

As the sector 15 moves clockwise from the Fig. 3 position to the Fig. 4position, the rollers 62 and 63 rotate to discharge the preceding bagand assume the positions to receive the bag which is released in thechute 25 by the fingers 55. But just as the fingers 55 release the bagthe swinging roller 3'! is driven to press the upper end of the bagagainst the belts l9. Thus for an instant the bag is positively forceddownwardly toward and between the rollers 62 and 63. If the timing ofthe roller 31 be inexact no harm is done because of the timing action ofthe fingers 55. Under such circumstances the bag may buckle away fromthe chute 25. But as soon as the fingers 55 release it, it againstraightens out.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown the fact that as the sector '15 advances tothe left, or counter-clockwise, the bottom of the incoming bag is drivendown through the rollers 62 and 53 with the bottom interposed betweenthe folding plates 83 and 85. At this time the folding plates are aboutto recede from beneath the rollers 52 and 63, because the lost motion ofthe pin-and-slot connection 93 has been taken up. At this time also theroller 31 has been drawn from the belts i9, so that the upper end of thebag is free to swing to the right against the guide member I90. Thisrightward swing of the upper end of the bag is aided by thecounter-clockwise movement of the fingers 55 which is taking place atthis time and by the movement of the belts on the underside of thepulleys to move the upper edge of the bag to the right. It is to beunderstood that as between Figs. 3 and 4, motion of the sector 15 hasreversed; whereas between Figs. 4 and 5 it has not.

It will also be understood that the folding plates 83 and 85 have goneup into position shown in Fig. 5 just under the tangent point betweenthe rollers 62 and 63 and into a position to receive the lower edge ofthe bottom 3 as sent through said rollers 62 and 63, the bottom of theedge of the bag having come into contact with the stop 81.

As the bell crank 5| approaches its ultimate left-hand position underaction of the eccentric rod 99 (Fig.6) the folding plates 93 and 85descend to accommodate the length of the bag which must necessarily passbetween rollers 62 and 63 in order to bring the flat bottom 3 entirelybelow said rollers.

The transformer hooks I99 are positioned in Fig. 6 in the maximumcounter-clockwise position that they will assume with the stop 3 againstthe pin I5. Inasmuch as the folding plates 83 and 85 are at this timeswinging to the left, the bag is given a curved form which tends tospring or angle the plane portion 7 away from the remainder of the bagand spring it against said hooks I09.

Then, as the parts move from the position shown in Fig. 6 to theirultimate positions, the area of said bottom has its upper edge slipunder the properly positioned hooks H19 of the transformer fingers I01.

Finally, the bell-crank having reached its ultimate left-hand position,starts the return clockwise. This again forces upthe folding plates 83and 85 toward the rollers 62 and 63. This causes the area 1 of thebottom3 of the bag tobe caught by the transformer hooks I09 in the mannershown in Fig. 7. The relative rotation of area 7 is Clockwise, thusmaking the crease 5 and bringing the area I down toward the area 9. Theupper edge of the lower holding plate 85 effects the initial creasewhich is later finished by movement of the adjacent and parallel areas Iand 9 through the rollers 62 and 63 which are this time rotatingoppositely to the rotation shown in Fig. 6. The opposite rotation is dueto the then clockwise motion of the sector 15.

It should be understood that each area 1 and 9 has pasted multi-layerstherein and that therefore each is relatively thick so that the actionshown in Fig. 7 takes place, namely, the area 1 forces the transformerfingers I01 clockwise against the tension of spring I l I. Thereafterthe transformer fingers hold the area 1 as the bag is pushed upwardlyand finally the areas 7 and 9 become adjacently located and passupwardly between the rollers 62 and 53.

As shown above, the bag passes downwardly to the rollers 62 and 63 andis drawn to the left thereunder, as shown in Fig. 4, and that the upperportion will naturally swing toward the right. It swings against thestop plate IUD. Then, as the bag moves upwardly under the action asdescribed, and the folded planes 1 and 9 come together and pass throughthe rollers 62 and 63, the position of the fingers 55 is such as to forma guide passage for them between said plate I00 and fingers 55.

The upper edge of the bag is then forced against the left of the roller23 and under the belt 19 to be fed laterally and to the right from themachine, transformed as shown in Fig. 2, except that the areas I and 9are flatter against one another. In Fig. 2 these areas are slightlyseparated for clarity.

The lost-motion connection between the connecting rod 9i and the lever49 assures that the folding plates 83 and 85 remain in position justbelow the rollers 62 and 63 until they have'received the lower edge ofthe bag. Thereafter, the folding plates are drawn down with the bagbottom therein.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructionswithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. A bag transformer comprising means adapted to receive empty bagswhich have bottoms lying against one side and partly extending from thebody of the bag, reversible means adapted to draw in said bag, bendingmeans beyond said reversible means adapted to receive the extendingportion of said bag bottom and to bend the bag to cause the otherportion of said bottom to angle out of the plane of the bag, saidreversible means withdrawing the bag from said bending means, and meansto hold said angled portion of said body as thebag reverses movement,whereby said angled portion is folded against said extending portion.

i 2. A bag transformer comprising a chute adaptedto receive empty bagswhich have bottoms partly lying against one side and partly extendingfrom the body of the bag, reversible rotating means adapted first todraw said bag inwardly, Oscillating means beyond said rotating meansadapted to receive the extending portion of said bag bottom and tooscillate to bend the bag 'to angle a portion of said bottom out of theplane of the bag, means for reversing said reversible rotating means towithdraw the bag from said oscillating means, and means to hold saidangled portion as the bag reverses movement, whereby said extendingportion is folded against said portion of the body which is held in theoscillating means.

3. A bag transformer comprising a chute adapted to receive empty bagseach of which has a bottom part lying against one side and a bottom partextending from the body of the bag, reversible rotating means adapted todraw said bag downwardly, oscillating means below said rotating meansadapted to receive the extending part of said bag bottom and tooscillate laterally to bend the bag to cause the other portion ofsaidbottom toangle out of the plane of the bag, means for reversing saidreversible rotating means to withdraw the bag from said oscillatingmeans, and means to hold said angled portion of said body as the bagreverses movement, whereby said angled portion is folded against saidportion of the bottom which is held in the oscillating means, andmovable means adapted to support incoming bags in said chute to timetheir advance for proper delivery to said reversible rotating means.

4. A bag transformer comprising a chute adapted to receive bags eachhaving a bottom with one portion lying against one side of the bag andanother portion extending therefrom, reversible rotating means adaptedto draw said bag downwardly, oscillating means below said rotating meansadapted to receive the extendingportion of said bag bottom and tooscillate to bend the bag to cause the other portion of saidbottom toangle out of the plane of the bag, means for reversing said reversiblerotating means thereby to withdraw the bag from said oscillating means,meansto hold said extending portion of said body as the bag reversesmovement, whereby said angled portion is folded against said portion ofthe body which is held in the oscillating means, and movable meansadapted to support incoming bags in said chute to time their furtheradvance for proper delivery to said reversible rotating means, saidtiming means also functioning as a guide means for the bag as it returnsfrom said reversible rotating means.

5. A bag transformer comprising a chute adapted toreceiv-e bags eachhaving a bottom with one portion lying against one side of the bag andanother portion extending therefrom, reversible rotating means adaptedto draw said bag downwardly, oscillating means below said rotating meansadapted to receive the extending portion of said bag bottom and tooscillate to bend the bag to cause the other portion of said bottom toangle out of the plane of the bag, means for reversing said reversiblerotating means thereby to withdraw the bag from said oscillating means,means to hold said extending portion of said body as the bag reversesmovement, whereby said angled portion is folded against said portion ofthe body which is held in the oscillating means, movable means adaptedto support incoming bags insaid chute to time their further advance forproper delivery to said reversible rotating means, said timing meansalso functioning as a guide means for the bag as it returns from saidreversible rotating means, and means on the inlet side of saidreversible means adapted to receive transformed bags to eject them fromthe machine.

6. A bag transformer comprising a chute adapted to receive bags eachhaving a bottom with one portion lying against one side of the bag andanother portionextending therefrom, reversible rotating means adapted todraw said bag downwardly, oscillating means below said rotating meansadapted to receive the extending portion of said bag bottom and tooscillate to bend the'bag to cause the other portion of said bottom toangle out of the plane of the bag, means for reversing said reversiblerotating means thereby to withdraw the bag from said oscillating means,means to hold said extending portion of said body as the bag reversesmovement, whereby said angled portion is folded against said portion ofthe body which is held in the oscillating means, movable means adaptedto support incoming bags in said chute to time their further advance forproper delivery to said reversible rotating means, said timing meansalso functioning as a guide means for the bag as it returns from saidreversible rotating means, and means adjacent said guide means adaptedto grip the returning bag to deliver it from the machine, said deliverymeans having a component adjacent said chute, and a timed presser memberadapted to cooperate therewith to intermittently effect a forcing of thebags from the chute to said reversible rotary means when said timingmeans permits.

7. Bag converting apparatus comprising an inlet means for bags havingone portion lying against the side of the bag and another extendingdownwardly therefrom, comprising a pair of rollers resiliently pressedtogether, means for reversibly'rotating said rollers, means forintermittently feeding bags into said rollers whereby said bags arepartially drawn through said rollers, said means for reversing therollers being operative to reverse before the bag has passed entirelythrough said rollers, and means adjacent the rollers adapted to receivethe extending portion of said bottom and to move it laterally withrespect to the body of the bag whereby the other portion of the bottomis angled from said body of the bag, and means forholding said angledportion of said bottom while the other portion rises through saidrollers whereby the two portions of the bottom become positionedadjacently as they again pass through said rollers.

8. Bag converting apparatus comprising an inlet means for bags eachhaving one portion lying against the side of the bag and anotherextending downwardly therefrom, comprising a pair of rollers resilientlypressed together, means for reversibly rotating said rollers, means forintermittently feeding bags into said rollers whereby they are drawn in,said means for reversing the rollers being operative to reverse beforethe bag has passed entirely through said rollers, oscillat ing meansadjacent the rollers adapted to receive the extending portion of saidbottom and to move it laterally with respect to the body of the bagwhereby the other portion of the bottom is angled free of said body ofthe bag, and means for holding said angled portion of said creasedportion of the bottom while the other portion rises through said rollersby reason of the return of said oscillating means and reversal of therollers, whereby the two portions of the bottom become positionedadjacently as they again pass through said rollers.

9. A transforming apparatus comprising a downwardly sloping chute, apair of rollers at the base thereof, means for resiliently pressing saidrollers together, means for reversibly rotating said rollers, timingmeans for intermittently sending bags to said rollers to be fed thereinunder action of rotation, means below the rollers adapted to receive oneportion of the bottom of the bag and to retract it as said rotationcontinues and to reverse its direction of movement as said direction ofrotation is reversed, and means for holding another portion of saidbottom as said direction of rotation is reversed whereby the twoportions of said bottom are brought together to be pressed between saidrollers after the direction of rotation has been reversed.

10. The method of transforming a bag having a flat bottom with a portionadjacent the side of the bag and a portion extending therefrom, into abag with the bottom having two parallel portions extending therefrom,comprising, pressing the bag from opposite sides and moving it in agiven direction, deflecting'the advancing edge of said bag whereby theportion of said bottom adjacent the body of the bag is made to anglefrom said body, and reversely moving said bag from its advanced,deflected and angled position while holding said angled portion wherebysaid last-named portion rotates against the said extending portion ofsaid bottom.

11. The method of transforming a bag having a bottom with a portionadjacent the side of the bag and a portion extending therefrom, into abag with the bottom having two parallel portions extending therefrom,comprising, moving the bag bottom first in a given direction, deflectingthe advancing bottom edge of said bag whereby the portion of said bottomadjacent the body of the bag is made to angle from said body, andreversely moving said bag from its advanced and deflected position whileholding said angled portion of the bottom.

12. The method of transforming unfilled and fiat bags each having a flatbottom with one portion adjacent the flat sides of the bag and oneportion extending therefrom, comprising moving each bag in onedirection, reversing the movement of said bag, holding the saidadjacently located portion to interfere with its reverse movementwhereby it becomes rotated adjacently to the plane of said extendingportion.

13. The method of transforming unfilled and flat bags each having a flatbottom with a portion adjacent the fiat sides of the bag and a portionextending therefrom, comprising moving each bag in one direction,deflecting the same to cause said portion of the bottom which wasadjacent the side to be angled therefrom, reversing the movement of saidbag, holding the edge of said angled portion to interfere with itsreverse movement whereby it becomes moved into position adjacent to theplane of said extending portion.

CHARLES F. SPARKS.

